Strand handling apparatus



July 29, 1941.

L. L. WEAVER STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o '54 FIG.

l/w/Elvrok L.L. WEA VER ATTORNEY July 29, 194.1.

L. L. WEAVER STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR L.L. WEAVf/P ATTORNEY Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT 2,250,689

STRAND HANDLINGAPBARATUS Leo L. Weaver, Cranford, N. J., assignorto' Western Electric Company, Incorporated,New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 10, 1940, Serial No. 360,580

Claims.

- Thisinvention relates to strand handling apparatus, and more particularly to high speed apparatus for serving a plurality of cover strands upon acore strand in one operation.

- 'Invarious manufacturing arts, and especially in the art of makinginsulated electrical conductors, it is necessary to wind one or more strand in theform of a substantially complete sheath or cover around another strand. The central or axial strand is ordinarily called the core strand, or simply the core. This is usually not twisted or distorted in the operation. The

strand or strands wound upon the core are called cover strands. In the case of insulated electrical conductors, the core is a metal wire or a plurality of intertwisted or interbraided Wires; and the cover strands may be of any desired material adapted to the particular purpose in view e. g.

threads, ends or yarns, or the like, of silk, cotton,

wool, artificial silk, spun glass, or other material. To wind or servesuch cover strands upon a core,

there must be relativelongitudinal motion either of a supply of cover strand along the core or of the core longitudinally past the supply; and, at

the same time, there must be rotary motion either of the supply about the core or of the core about the supply or of the core about its own axis beside the supply.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for simultaneously serving. cover strands upon a torsionally substantially rigid core at a plurality of points thereon, to form a plurality of coverings upon the core in one operation.

' With the above and other objects inview, the

invention may be embodied in an apparatus comprising means to individually impose axial rotation uponeach of a plurality of separate portions only of a longitudinally advancing torsionally substantially rigid cor and to annul such rotation at the end of each'such portion, together with means associated with each axially rotating portion of the core to supply cover strand thereto.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear fromthe following detailed descriptionof an' apparatus constructed in accordance with" the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals are applied to identical parts in the several'figures and in which Fig. 1 isa diagrammatic view in elevation of an apparatus-constructed in accordancewith theinvention; Fig. 2'is a partial view on the line 2-2of Fig.' 1

Fig. 3 is a partial view on the 1ine 3'--3 of Fig.1

Fig. 4 is a showing similart'o Fig.- 3 of a m'odifled arrangement; i Fig; 511s partial view-on the line 5 -5 of and Fig. 6 is a side view of a piece of oneipro'duct of the machine much enlarged.

.In th machine disclosed, a framework has Fig. 1;

mounted therein a duplex flier generally indicatedby the numeral'3l and having exit and entrance arms 32 and 3-3"respectively. The strand .exit ends of both arms of the flier are supported in and drive a stub shaft'34journa1led in the frame in any approved manner. The strand en- 'trance endsof the two arms of the flier are supported in and driven by a stub shaft also jourrnalled in the frame in axial alignment with the shaft 34. The arm 33' at its lower end opens in .the'axis of the shaft 35' at the bottom end thereof and at'its upper end'the arm 33 opens out axially front the bottom end of the shaft 34. Similarly thelower and upper ends of the arm .32 open out respectively from the centers of the up- .end of a shaft 41' journalled in a bracket on the shaft 35 and having at its upper end a second planetary gear 4 2'. Gear 42 in turn meshes with a spur gear 43 carried by the supply support 36 Gear 38 meshes with and is driven by a gear 44 mounted on :a. shaft 45 journalled in the frame 30-. Shaft 45 in turn is driven from a power shaft 45 through-bevel gears? and 43. Shaft 46 is driven from any convenient power source not shown, and drives a take-up reel 49 through an appropriate belt 50 and pulleys 51 and 52. V

A core supply 53 ismounted below the bottom ends of the shaft 35 and flier arm 33. .A capstan -5'4is proyided'to assist the take-up reel in pulling the strand through the apparatus.

The 'co'r'ei5'6 is a wire or other strand analogous to a wire in being torsionallysubstantially rigid so that it does'not accept any twist or torsional deformation to any substantial extent in itsprogress through the apparatus.

The space within the flier 31 is divided int three sub-spaces by transverse crossbars or braces-'28 and 29. The supply frame or support 35'is Within the. lower spacebelow' the crossbar through the crossbar and journalled also in the top of the supply frame 36 to steady the latter torsionally substantially rigid, the core 56 is drawn from the supply reel 53 by the capstan 54 and take-up reel 49. From the supply reel 53 the core passes up into the bottom of and through the entrance arm 33 of the flier 3|. Emerging downwardly from the top of this flier arm, the strand is rotating on its own axis in the same direction as the flier, i. e. counterclockwise as seen from above, and at twice the speed of the flier. As it passes on down into the upturned end of the entrance arm 23 of the inner flier 2| the cover strands 257, drawn axially. A spur gear 58 is secured on the top l of the frame 36 and surrounds the shaft I35 which is rotatable within it. Aplanetary gear 59 meshes with the gear 58 and is rigidly secured on the lower end of a shaft rotatably mounted On the upper end of the shaft 66 is rigidly but removably mounted in any suitable fashion, a gear 6|, which meshes with 'a in the crossbar 29.

gear 62 rotatable on a removable support 63 carried on the crossbar 29. The gear 62 meshes in turn with a spur gear 64 rigidly secured to the under side of the flier 2| and split as shown in Fig. 3 to be removable.

The cover strand support I36 is journalled on gears I42 and I40 on a shaft |4| carried by the crossbar 28, to a gear I39, rigid on the bottom end of an extension of the cover strand supply support 236, journalled in the crossbar 28. The extension 65 is hollow to receive and support rotatably therein the shaft I34 of the flier 2 I.

The top of the support 236 is similarly operatively connected through gears 239, 240, shaft MI, and gears 242 and 243 to the top of the fixed frame 36.

The shaft 35 and thereby the flier 3| are driven in rotation, say counterclockwise looking down from the top of Fig. .l in the direction of the arrows 2-2 and 3-3. The gears 39 and 43 are of identical size as are also the gears 40 and 42. The gear 39 being stationary because rigid on the fixed frame 30, the gear 43 must remain stationary and hold the frame 36 stationary while the flier 3| revolves about it.

The gear 58 is stationary and therefore drives the planetaries 59 and 6|, which are unequal in size and hence drive the gears 62 and 64, the latter at a speed and in a direction relative to the stationary gear '58 which will depend upon the relative sizes of the several gears from 58 to 64 inclusive. These are intended here to be such that the gear 64 and the flier 2| secured thereto will rotate in the same direction as the flier 3| but at twice the speed of the latter.

Looking now at the top of Fig. 1, the gear 239 is stationary, being secured to the frame 36, and hence the gear 243 and the support 236 secured thereto are stationary, the gear train 239, 246, 242, 243 being identical in kind to the train 39, 46, 42, 43. Likewise the gear I39 is stationary, being secured to a part of the stationary support 236, and thus maintains the gear I43 and therewith the support I36 stationary.

When the apparatus as thus described is in operation, assuming that the core strand 56 is from the cops 23'! on the stationary support 236, are wound around the rotating core by the rotation of the latter.

I As the now once wrapped core passes down into the entrance of the flier 2| both the core and the flier 2| are rotating in the same direction and at the same speed. There is, therefore, no rotation of the flier 2| with respect to the coreientering into it. Therefore, the entire flier has no effect upon the rotation of the core. On emerging from the arm 23, the core is stationary with respecttogthe flier 2| but is rotating with respect to the stationary packages or cops I3lof cover strand at twice the speed of the flier 3|, i. e. at the speed of the flier 2| with respect to the cops. The cover strands I5'Iare wound on the core .as'a second serving of the same pitch as the first, but of opposite hand because the core, rotating in the same direction as before, is passing the winding point in the opposite longitudinal direction.

The then doubly wrapped core emerges downwardly from the flier 2| at the bottom or exit end of the, arm 22, still rotationally stationary with respect to this flier and therefore rotating withrespect to the stationary supply cops 31 in the same direction as and at twice the speed of the-flier 3|. The cover strands 5I arethen Woundas a third serving over the secondand of the same pitch and hand. as the first serving.

Finally the trebly served core enters the-arm 32 at the'bottom and emerges at its top without rotation and is taken up on the reel 49., The product thus made is a trebly served core, .of which the three servings are of one pitch but of alternating left, right and left hand.

This mode of operation, in which the inner flier turns in the same direction as the outer flier but -at twice the speed of the latter and therefore has'no effect upon the axial rotation of the core passing through it but serves only to reverse the longitudinal direction of passage of the core past a stationary, winding point is a unique and special mode of operation of the apparatus, by virtue of the fact that thefflier 2| does not affect the rotation of the core.

Assume now that the gear train 58 to 64 is such that the flier 2| is driven at three times the speed of the flier 3| but still in the same direction. The flier 2| is then running ahead ofthe once served core entering it byth'ree to two. The once served core, therefore, comes to the second serving point with two additional-rotations for every two it had upon entering the flier 2|, and is rotating now at four times the speed of the flier 3| and still in the same sense with respect to the stationary cops |3'|. The strands I'5I are wrapped on the core by itsrotation in same sense as before, i. e. right handeclly. but at half the pitch, so that only half as many cover strands I51, as in the first case will give the same coverage.

Now, if the gear 62 be omitted as shown in -F'i'g.-4, and-the train of gears from 58 to be suitably proportioned, the flier 2| may be driven in the opposite direction of rotation to that of the flier 3|. ll' en the rotation of the once served core at the second or middle winding point may be reversed in direction, thus causing the middle wrapping or serving to be of the same hand as the first and third servings and of any pitch desired within reasonable limits imposed by the gear dimensions. The first and third servings are, of course, identically alike in pitch and hand in any case.

For the sake of simplicity of drawing and clarity of description, the planetaries 4|] and 42 are shown as unique; but in practice it might be preferable to balance these by identical parts engaging the gears 39 and 43 respectively at diametrically opposite points to provide centrifugal balance. Similarly the gearings 51-62, &!l|42, and 250242 might be duplicated at the opposite sides of their respective sun gears for the same reason.

The flier 3| is shown as divided into three quasi compartments, of which the middle one contains the flier 2|. As thus arranged, three coverings are served simultaneously on a core in one operation. By increasing the length of the flier 3| and the number of crossbars 28 and 29, more than one internal flier 2| and cover strand supply I36 may be installed within the flier 3|; and thus the number of coverings served on the core in one passage through the machine may be increased.

If either the support 36 or the support 236 with their strand supplies be omitted from the machine of Fig. 1, or if merely the supplies on them be omitted, the core will be wound with two coverings in one passage through the medium; and these coverings will be of like or opposite hand and of like or unlike pitch according to the relative speeds and directions of the two fliers.

The flier 3| acts to impose upon the torsionally rigid core the rotation of the core about its axis which effects the winding upon the core of the cover strands 5'! and 251 at the bottom and top winding points respectively. In the first mode of operation above described with the flier 2| turning in the same direction as the flier 3| but at twice the speed of the latter, the flier 2| acts to preserve the rotation of the core unchanged but to reverse the longitudinal direction of the core past the intermediate winding point and thus to reverse the hand of the lay of the cover threads |5| on the core. If the speed or direction of rotation of the flier 2| is any other than twice the speed and in the same sense as the rotation of the flier 3|, the flier 2| will impose on the core at the intermediate winding point an additional rotation which will be with or against that caused by the flier 3| according as the flier 2| runs ahead of the flier 3| or behind or against it.

The particular embodiment disclosed is illustrative and may be modified and departed from in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Strand handling apparatus for serving cover strands at a plurality of points simultaneously upon a longitudinally advancing torsionally rigid core strand, which apparatus comprises a primary rotatable duplex flier having an entrance core strand,- a plurality of stationary supports for'--cover strand -sup plies' within the flier at respective winding points 'in sequence between th exit end of the entrancearm and the entrance -'or'-tneem-arm, and a secondary rotatable duplex flier-within the primary flier having an entrance arm and an exit arm to receive and guide the core strand, one of the cover strand supply supports and the winding point associated therewith being within the secondary flier between the exit end of the entrance arm therearm and an exit arm to receive and guide the of and the entrance end of the exit arm thereof.

2. Strand handling apparatus for serving cover strands at a plurality of points simultaneously upon a longitudinally advancing torsionally rigid core strand, which apparatus comprises a primary rotatable duplex flier having an entrance arm and an exit arm to receive and guide the core strand, a plurality of stationary supports for cover strand supplies within the flier at respective winding points in sequence between the exit end of the entrance arm and the entrance end of the exit arm, a secondary rotatable duplex flier within the primary flier having an entrance arm and an exit arm to receive and guide the core strand, and means to rotate the two fliersat constant speeds, one of the cover strand supply supports and the winding point associated therewith being within the secondary flier between the exit end of the entrance arm thereof and the entrance end of the exit arm thereof.

3. Strand handling apparatus for serving cover strands at a plurality of points simultaneously upon a longitudinally advancing torsionally rigid core strand, which apparatus comprises a primary rotatable duplex flier having an entrance arm and an exit arm to receive and guide the core strand, a plurality of stationary supports for cover strand supplies within the flier at respective winding points in sequence between the exit end of the entrance arm and the entrance end of the exit arm, a secondary rotatable duplex flier within the primary flier having an entrance arm and an exit arm to receive and guide the core strand, means to rotate the two fliers at constant speeds, and interchangeable means toalter the constant relation of rotation of the secondary flier to the rotation of the primary flier, one of the cover strand supply supports and the winding point associated therewith being within the secondary flier between the exit end of the entrance arm thereof and the entrance end of the exit arm thereof.

4. Strand handling apparatus for serving cover strands at a plurality of points simultaneously upon a longitudinally advancing torsionally rigid core strand, which apparatus comprises means to impose rotation upon a portion only of the advancing core strand and to modify the motion.

of a part only of the rotating portion, in combination with means to supply cover strands to the core strand at a point on the modifledly moving part of the core strand and at another point on the unmodifiedly moving portion of the core strand to be served thereon by the rotation thereof.

5. Strand handling apparatus for serving cover strands at a plurality of points simultaneously upon a longitudinally advancing torsionally rigid core strand, which apparatus comprises means to impose rotation upon a portion onlyof the advancing core strand and to modify the motion of a part only of the rotating portion, the said means including a primary rotatable duplex flier having an entrance arm and an exit arm, and a secondary rotatable duplex flier arm positioned within and coaxially with the primary flier to receive the core strand from the entrance arm of the primary flier and deliver it to the exit arm thereof, in combination with means to supply 

